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Treasury Announces New Sanctions Against Iran

5/23/2013

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Actions Target Iran’s Nuclear and Missile Proliferation Activities

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of the Treasury is taking action today against 20 individuals and entities for their involvement in Iran’s nuclear and missile proliferation networks and Iran’s continued attempts to circumvent sanctions. These networks are responsible for moving supplies and providing essential services to Iran’s clandestine nuclear and weapons programs. These actions are designed to increase pressure on the Iranian regime by tightening sanctions against Iran’s energy sector and exposing key proliferation related networks that span the globe from Europe to Asia.

“As long as Iran continues to pursue a nuclear and ballistic missile program in defiance of multiple UN Security Council Resolutions, the U.S. will target and disrupt those involved in Iran’s illicit activities,” said Treasury Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David S. Cohen. “We will continue to work with our international partners to intensify this pressure and tighten sanctions on Iran’s energy sector as it provides much needed financial support for the Iranian regime’s proliferation activity.”

Fourteen of the entities and individuals being designated today are part of Iran’s international procurement and proliferation operations. These designations are being made pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13382, which targets weapons of mass destruction proliferators and their supporters. The designations focus on entities and individuals supporting previously designated entities within Iran’s proliferation network as well as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Naftiran Intertrade Company (NICO), and Iran’s Ministry of Defense for Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL). These organizations are at the center of Iran’s continued proliferation activities. Today’s designations include companies supporting IRGC attempts to clandestinely ship illicit cargo around the world, including to Syria. They also target the Deputy Defense Minister and Dean of Malek Ashtar University, who is responsible for significant contributions to Iran’s missile program, as well as companies and individuals supporting Iran’s nuclear program.

Today Treasury is identifying Seifollah Jashnsaz, Chairman of NICO and director of Hong Kong Intertrade Company and Petro Suisse Intertrade Company SA as well as five individuals holding other leadership positions in Iran’s energy sector who have been involved in Iranian attempts to evade international sanctions. These individuals work for the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), NICO, and previously-identified Iranian front companies. Specifically, they are being identified today as subject to sanctions under E.O. 13599, which, among other things, targets the Government of Iran (GOI) and persons acting for or on behalf of the GOI. In addition to Seifollah Jashnsaz, the following individuals are being identified today: Ahmad Ghalebani, managing director of NIOC and a director of both Petro Suisse Intertrade Company SA and Hong Kong Intertrade Company; Farzad Bazargan, managing director of Hong Kong Intertrade Company; Hashem Pouransari, NICO official and managing director of Asia Energy General Trading LLC; and Mahmoud Nikousokhan, NIOC finance director and a director of Petro Suisse Intertrade Company SA.

In 2008, the Treasury Department identified NIOC and NICO, both centrally involved in the sale of Iranian oil, as entities that are owned or controlled by the GOI. Additionally, NIOC was determined to be an agent or affiliate of the IRGC in November 2012 and NICO was designated under E.O. 13382 in April 2013 for being owned or controlled by NIOC. In order to prevent the circumvention of the international community’s sanctions on oil trade with Iran, the Department of the Treasury later identified, among others, Switzerland-based Petro Suisse Intertrade Company SA, United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.)-based Asia Energy General Trading LLC, and Hong Kong-based Hong Kong Intertrade Company as front companies for NIOC or NICO.

U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with the entities and individuals listed today, and any assets of those persons subject to U.S. jurisdiction are frozen. Additionally, today’s designations under E.O. 13382 carry consequences under the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 (CISADA). Foreign financial institutions that knowingly facilitate significant transactions or provide significant financial services for these sanctioned entities or individuals are exposed to potential loss of access to the U.S. financial system.

Proliferation Designations Related to the IRGC

The IRGC continues to be a primary focus of U.S. and international sanctions against Iran because of the central role it plays in Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs and its involvement in serious human rights abuses. The IRGC was designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 in October 2007 for having engaged in proliferation-related activities.

Iran Air was designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 in June 2011 for providing support and services to Iran’s, IRGC, MODAFL, and Iran’s Air Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO). Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury is designating several individuals and entities that have provided support to Iran Air and are part of an Iran Air aircraft procurement and support network. This network is also related to Mahan Air and the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) and has provided the support needed by these airlines to continue their operations. These activities have included ferrying military and crowd control equipment to the Assad regime as it carries out its campaign of violence against the people of Syria. Mahan Air was designated pursuant to E.O. 13224 for providing financial, material and technological support to the IRGC-QF.

Three Iran based companies being designated today have an international footprint – Aban Air, DFS Worldwide and Everex – and are actively assisting Iran Air by providing it with financial services, aviation related procurement and freight forwarding.

Also being designated today are senior officials of the companies - Ali Mahdavi of Aban Air, DFS Worldwide and Everex, Bahareh Mirza Hossein Yazdi of DFS Worldwide and Everex.

Aban Air

Aban Air has offices in Iran, the United Kingdom (U.K.), and the U.A.E. It is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 for providing financial, material, and technological support to Iran Air. Aban Air pays the salaries of Iran Air employees and provides them with training. Aban Air has also attempted to acquire aircraft and aircraft parts for Iran Air, carried international freight and cargo for Iran Air, provided Iran Air pilots with non-Iranian pilot licenses and attempted to help Iran Air register its planes outside of Iran.

Additionally, the IRGC used Aban Air to clandestinely ship cargo to and from Iran and Aban Air has held a contract with Mahan Air to carry international freight and cargo for Mahan Air.

Ali Mahdavi

Ali Mahdavi is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 for acting for or on behalf of Aban Air. Mahdavi is the chairman and 50% owner of Aban Air and also leads DFS Worldwide and Everex, which were also designated today for their links to Aban Air.

Everex

Everex has offices in Iran, the U.K., and the U.A.E. It is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 because it acts or purports to act for or on behalf of Aban Air. Everex conspired with Iran Air to import aviation parts into Iran in contravention of sanctions by falsifying end-user certificates and airway bills. Everex also worked with Aban Air to ship cargo on Iran Air from Iran to Sudan.

DFS Worldwide

DFS Worldwide has offices in Iran, South Africa, the U.A.E., the U.K., and Germany. It is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 for acting for or on behalf of Everex and providing services and support to Iran Air and the IRGC. It was founded as a result of the renaming of Everex with no changes concerning addresses, clients, or personnel. DFS Worldwide is a front company for the shipment of equipment from the U.A.E. to Iran. DFS Worldwide carried international freight for Iran Air and regularly booked cargoes for Iran Air.

In addition, DFS Worldwide also served as an expeditor of air cargo for the IRGC and the IRGC used DFS Worldwide to covertly ship cargo to and from Iran. The IRGC-QF repeatedly used DFS Worldwide to ship goods from Dubai to Tehran. DFS Worldwide carried international freight for Mahan Air. DFS Worldwide served as a general cargo and sales agent for Mahan Air, booking and issuing airway bills for Mahan Air.

Bahareh Mirza Hossein Yazdi

Bahareh Mirza Hossein Yazdi is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of DFS Worldwide and Everex through her position as a director for DFS Worldwide and Everex.

Farhad Parvaresh

Farhad Parvaresh is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 for acting for or on behalf of Iran Air by serving as the chairman and managing director of Iran Air.

Designations Related to the IRGC and NIOC

Petro Green

Petro Green, located in Malaysia, is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 for providing or attempting to provide goods and services to Khatam Ol-Anbiya (KOA), a construction and engineering firm connected to the IRGC. Since at least 2009, Petro Green has been a primary procurement agent for KOA in its attempt to circumvent U.S. sanctions. KOA was designated by Treasury pursuant to E.O. 13382 on October 25, 2007 for being owned or controlled by the IRGC.

Hossein Vaziri, Energy Global International Fze, and Global Sea Line Company Ltd.

Hossein Vaziri is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 for acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, the IRGC. Vaziri was the Managing Director of Petro Green, Energy Global International Fze, located in the U.A.E. and Global Sea Line Company Ltd. which located in Singapore. These two companies were also designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 today for being owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of Vaziri, or providing services and support to KOA. Vaziri utilizes Energy Global International and Global Sea Line to facilitate the movement of hundreds of millions of dollars on behalf of NICO.

Designation related to Iran’s Nuclear Program

Farhad Bujar

Farhad Bujar is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 for acting for or on behalf of the Iranian Centrifuge Technology Company (TESA). TESA was designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 on November 21, 2011 and plays a crucial role in Iran’s uranium enrichment nuclear program. TESA is in charge of the production of the IR-1centrifuge, the type of centrifuge Iran has used to enrich uranium.

Farhad Bujar is the Managing Director of TESA. Through his role as Managing Director of TESA, Bujar is in charge of reviewing TESA’s budget figures, including TESA’s goals for optimizing first- and second generation centrifuge production lines and production of 3,000 advanced IR-2M centrifuges.

Zolal Iran Company

Zolal Iran Company is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 for providing services or support to Iran’s Modern Industries Technique Company (MITEC). MITEC was designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 on November 21, 2011 by Treasury for being owned or controlled by and providing services to the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI).

Zolal Iran Company specializes on a project at Iran’s IR-40 heavy water research reactor. Zolal Iran Company is compensated by MITEC for its work on the purification packages for Iran’s IR-40 heavy water research reactor.

Andisheh Zolal Co.

Andisheh Zolal is beingdesignated pursuant to E.O. 13382 because it is owned or controlled by Zolal Iran Company. Andishel Zolal is a sister company of Zolal Iran Company and is co-located with Zolal Iran Company.

Reza Mozaffarinia is being designated pursuant to E.O. 13382 for acting for or on behalf of MODAFL. Mozaffarinia is MODAFL’s Deputy Defense Minister and Dean of Malek Ashtar University (MUT). He is responsible for significant contributions to Iran’s missile program. Mozaffarinia has been the head of MUT since at least 2009. MUT was designated on July 12, 2012 pursuant to E.O. 13382 for being owned or controlled by MODAFL. MUT was identified in the Annex to UNSCR 1929 because it is a subordinate of the Defense Technology and Science Research Center within MODAFL.

During an interview by a network correspondent regarding the first satellite Iran successfully launched into space, the Omid satellite, Mozaffarinia stated that during the next ten years, a number of other satellites would be launched as a result of the National Aerospace Organization’s research and development efforts. In addition, Mozaffarinia claims MUT has introduced some special graduate courses which focus on research in order to train students to develop special technology targets.